Guest cellist Matthew Allen is a former child prodigy who grew up in Tallahassee and has worked with Miriam Burns.

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On Wednesday night, the conductor of the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra was smiling, relaxed and dressed in slacks as she took the podium in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall to rehearse the symphony for this weekend's closing concert of the 2011-2012 season. The big finale, titled "With Strings Attached," will also be Burns' final appearance with the TSO after serving six years as music director.

"Try it again, you've got to play it together," Burns calmly told the second-strings section. "Let's pick it up a little bit faster from the same place. Speed ...